Podcast Episode 206: A Blended-Family Positive Movie

Thanks so much for coming by to check out Episode 206 of The New Family Podcast, where we explore a film that depicts blended families in a positive way.

Part of my reason for starting the website, and later, this podcast, was because I didn’t see families like my own — an usually amicable post-divorce family with co-parents living next door for years — reflected in mainstream media. When she was growing up, my guest for this episode, Paulina Lagudi, had a similar experience comparing her own family to the ones she saw on TV and in movies. Well, today she’s able to do something about that. Paulina is a filmmaker who has created a movie called “Mail Order Monster” or “M.O.M.” for short. The film tackles grief, blended family and step-parenting in a way that puts a modern and perfectly imperfect family in a positive light.

What Paulina hopes families will get out of seeing the movie

“I really hope that families really can just sit down and just have a conversation. I would love for parents and step-parents to sit down and say to their kids ‘wow, I really had no idea that’s maybe what you were feeling or going through’ and vice versa, I’d love for kids to sit down and say ‘I didn’t see it from your side either.’ But also, I’d love for people to have a good time, and laugh, and cry and then maybe later on it sticks to them. I know that’s been an interesting thing that I heard recently of how they had the conversations a couple of days later. But I really want families, and even kids watching it, to realize that it’s not all black and white, all intentions aren’t black and white. Everything is in the grey. If you can just see where the person is coming from, it will be alright.”

Sponsor Thanks!

Special thanks to our sponsor, Wise Bites, makers of allergy-safe snacks that check all the right boxes for back to school, for helping us make the show is entirely free to you.

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About Brandie Weikle

Brandie is a long-time parenting editor, writer and spokesperson. Most recently editor-in-chief of Canadian Family magazine, Brandie has also been the parenting and relationships editor for the Toronto Star, founding editor of two Toronto Star websites, and an editor for Today's Parent. Brandie is a single mother of two in Toronto and a frequent television and radio guest on parenting topics. A former digital director at House & Home Media, she also consults on digital audience engagement. Contact her here. View all posts by Brandie Weikle

About The Editor

The New Family, a blog site that examines and celebrates modern family life, is run by long-time parenting editor, writer and spokesperson, Brandie Weikle. She is also the host of The New Family Podcast. Former editor-in-chief of Canadian Family magazine, Brandie has also been the parenting and relationships editor for the Toronto Star, founding editor of two Toronto Star websites, and an editor for Today's Parent. Brandie is a single mother of two in Toronto and a frequent television and radio guest on parenting topics. She lives next door to the father of her children and leads a dynamic Facebook community called Positive Co-Parenting After Divorce. You can contact Brandie here. You can find our privacy policy here.